Winterlight
by VR Trakowski
Summary: Tony's Christmas wish. Tony/Pepper
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Most of the characters and situations in this story belong to Marvel Comics, Fairview Entertainment, Dark Blades Films, and other entities, and I do not have permission to borrow them. All others are mine, particularly Cedric, and if you want to borrow them, you have to ask me first. No infringement is intended in any way, and this story is not for profit. Any errors are mine, all mine, no you can't have any.   **

**More Christmas fluff. Cincoflex is the best of betas and the best of friends, and I owe this one to her! **

**The Toys for Tots Website is not very good, but if you want to emulate Tony (on a smaller scale, of course) you can start there.**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Tony Stark was thinking snow.

Not skiing, not mountaintops high above his warm seacoast; no, he was thinking whole vistas of snow, fields and forests whitened, blinding in the sun or glittering under the moon, or even silently growing as more flakes floated down. A strange thought, perhaps, for a man who made his home where it never froze, and who had sworn off cold after spending three months trying to keep warm in a mountain's heart. But a random word had set him pondering, and now his mind spun in, focusing beyond his mental landscape to the crystals that made it up.

He knew the principles behind the formation of snowflakes, and had a pretty decent grounding in the weather that formed them. Now he tilted back his office chair and let his mind work on the _idea_ of snow, each flake individual and beautiful. On the conditions required to create them, the variations that nature offered, the possibilities.

_Snow. _

It had been Cedric's fault, in the end. Tony hadn't meant to eavesdrop, and certainly there was nothing private in his office manager's idle conversation with Pepper. All they'd been doing was discussing the upcoming holiday season, and Pepper had remarked in passing that she missed seeing snow now and then.

Sometimes it was hard for Tony to remember that she had grown up on the East Coast, where snow was a not infrequent event. It wasn't that he hadn't experienced the stuff himself; as a child he'd lived for a time in New York City, and he still remembered its winters. And he'd seen it in other times and places, enjoyed romping in it--the snow sculpture contests in college had been a highlight of his time there.

But for the past decade or so the closest he got was the occasional trip to a winter resort, and usually only when the weather was fine. He encountered it sometimes during his missions, but it was more of a complicating factor than anything else--a threat to visibility.

But Pepper's words, with their hint of wistfulness, had sparked him. If Pepper missed snow, then by all means she should have some. And while Tony would gladly sweep her up and fly her anywhere she wanted, Canada, New England, Switzerland, Mongolia--Antarctica if those weren't enough--she wouldn't let him.

He sighed, and spun slowly around to look out over the Stark Industries campus. The cleanup after the arc reactor blowout had finally been finished, though they were still running the place on the backup generators; the new reactor was still in production, which was not exactly sped by Tony's constant improvements to the plans. But the place looked shipshape once more, ready for its new directions.

That was satisfactory. Tony's relationship with his personal assistant, however, was not.

He didn't know what to _do. _ Tony figured he'd made himself pretty clear the day of his explosive press conference, and to his guilty dismay Pepper had made herself clear right back. But he didn't know how to make his dereliction up to her. An apology wasn't going to be enough, but he had no clue how to proceed.

Tony Stark was an expert in wooing a woman's body. He had no idea how to woo a woman's heart.

Still, he liked to hope that he was making progress, as blind as he was. He'd tried to cut down on the cruder innuendo, though there was no way he was ever going to stop teasing Pepper. And he'd started paying more attention. Tony didn't know how to have a relationship, but he figured practice wouldn't hurt. And so he indulged himself, doing what he wanted to do--making her stop work when she was exhausted, making sure she ate, making her smile whenever possible. It was a strange sensation, wanting to take care of someone. He'd never felt that way before.

Well, once, but he didn't like to think about that newborn protective instinct so quickly snuffed.

He wanted to care for Pepper, to cherish her the way she deserved. And while she often looked puzzled at his actions, she usually let him do it.

However, that didn't include carrying her off for a Christmas in the snow somewhere.

_So if you can't take her to the snow, bring the snow to her. _

Slowly Tony began to grin. Spinning his chair back around, he woke his computer and began roughing out schematics.

* * *

"Sign all the flagged pages," Pepper said, setting down a sheaf of papers on Tony's desk. "And Shanaya in Programming wants to double-confirm with you about the holiday party."

"What's the matter?" Tony asked, flipping pages and scribbling hasty signatures. "We do this every year."

"And every year you up the budget by about twenty-five percent," Pepper noted with amusement. "Shanaya's a frugal soul. It makes her nervous."

Tony snorted. "I hate cheap parties. That reminds me, when are we scheduled to do the Toys for Tots thing?"

"December tenth." Pepper smiled. "Do you want to go to F.A.O. Schwartz again this year?"

"Nah, let's stay local for once." Tony looked up at her. "Make the usual arrangements--I don't care where, as long as it's big."

Her smile grew, and Tony grinned back. The annual expedition to a toy store was one they both loved. "You're coming along, right?" he added, just to make sure. "I can't pick out all the girly stuff myself."

"Of course." Pepper tapped the papers, and Tony went back to signing. "Are you asking Rhodey along this year?"

"Might as well if he's in town, he said something about taking leave." He glanced over the last few pages, decided they were fine, and signed them as well.

"I think that's later. He's planning on going home for Christmas, I believe." Pepper gathered up the papers.

"Good for him." Tony tossed the pen onto his desk and sat back, feeling slightly petulant. Rhodey used to invite Tony home with him on his infrequent leaves, but after the last time Rhodes' mother had declared that Tony was not welcome back, ever. He still felt a little embarrassed about that one, even if he couldn't remember all the details, though he'd had Pepper send a very lavish apology bouquet. "When's the party again?"

"The nineteenth. And just so you know, I threw out the mistletoe headband you wore last year." Pepper's expression was a blend of humor and annoyance.

Tony smirked up at her. "Trust me, Ms. Potts, I'm a lot more discriminating now. There's only one lady I'd like to catch beneath the mistletoe."

As he'd expected, a crimson flush ran up Pepper's neck to her cheeks. She cleared her throat. "Will that be all, Mr. Stark?"

"That will be all," he allowed, delighted, and let her retreat. The mere fact that she couldn't seem to riposte his more pointed flirting any more gave him hope.

_Christmas. _ Tony tugged at his tie, in lieu of tapping his arc reactor, and thought. Stark Industries threw huge holiday parties every year for all its employees, closing everything down on Friday afternoon so everyone could attend, and the biggest one was at Headquarters. In the past Tony had occasionally dropped in at one of the others somewhere around the world, but this year he intended to be on the spot, to snag a dance with Pepper. More than one, if he was sneaky enough.

_Christmas is supposed to be romantic, right? _ Tony wondered if he could use the season to lure her closer to him. He'd buy her a beautiful dress, bring her hot cocoa with candy canes stuck in it, let her pick out the Christmas tree she always insisted on putting up in his living room...

He wondered abruptly what had happened to the ornaments that had decorated the trees of his childhood. After his parents' death Tony had pretty much given up personally celebrating the holiday--he went to parties, sure, and had Pepper send out cards and gifts, but he usually spent Christmas either blind drunk or working so hard in the workshop that he forgot what day it was.

The tree Pepper ordered was always beautifully decorated with a perfect, impersonal array of color-matched baubles, never the same from year to year. But when his mother was alive, the tree was crowded with ornaments that meant something--heirlooms, some of them, but others just fun or sentimental or beautiful.

In fact, Tony remembered with a start, she used to take him out every year to some store and have him pick out the one he liked best, never showing impatience when it took him time to choose, or arguing with his decision. And his father would wire the tree with the lights before they decorated it, a sparkling array that twinkled in patterns and sequences--Tony had designed a timer at age twelve that would let him program just about any pattern he liked. Though his mother hadn't been amused when he'd had it spelling out rude words...

Tony shook his head, smiling at the memory. It was bittersweet; it had been a long time since he'd let himself think about those Christmases. He'd made a point of avoiding the actual holiday since his parents' deaths, he realized, though he hadn't always been conscious of it. And he didn't even know where those ornaments were, though he was sure Pepper had them listed on an inventory somewhere.

But this year he wanted to celebrate. He wanted to celebrate with _Pepper._ To share Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, with someone special, to maybe even start a new tradition or two.

_Maybe we can buy a couple of ornaments. _

_

* * *

  
_

"Yeah, sure, I'll come along," Rhodes said around a mouthful of pulled pork. His eyes were hidden by his sunglasses, but he was pleased, Tony could tell. "It's always a blast stripping the shelves."

"Good. Pepper's making the arrangements, you can get the details from her." Tony sipped his beer and shoved with one foot, hitching himself back up the hood of the limo. The view wasn't bad--the car was pointed towards the beach, and the eye candy was worth seeing despite the coolness of the season. Though Tony found that his eyes kept searching the crowd of scantily-clad beachgoers for a tall redhead...

Lunch together had been Rhodey's suggestion, but Tony had voted for the barbecue stand, and it hadn't taken much to convince Rhodes. Tony knew that the footmarks they were leaving on the shiny hood of the limo would be gone by sundown, polished away by Happy's diligence, but the chauffeur wasn't a fusser and was currently standing a few yards away, calmly eating his own sandwich. Hogan appreciated good barbecue as much as his employer did.

"You going home for Christmas?" Tony asked casually.

Rhodes nodded, and reached for a napkin. "Got it all arranged. Try to avoid having a crisis, will you? I hate it when they call me back."

Tony snorted and picked up his sandwich again, not rising to the bait. "Relax, I have plans."

"Yeah?" Rhodes regarded him with mild interest. "Let me guess, the Firan triplets are throwing a party in Paris again?"

"You still jealous about that?" Tony took a bite and chewed, remembering the glamorous trio of French blondes whose fêtes were the high water mark of the Paris ultra-wealthy. Tony had let them captivate him for three whole days a few years back, though he couldn't remember where he'd ended up celebrating New Year's afterwards.

"Not my type." Rhodes rolled his eyes. "So what are your plans?"

Tony swallowed, and decided that Rhodey's propensity to tease him was outweighed by his need for advice. "Pepper."

Rhodes paused with his beer halfway to his mouth and regarded Tony for a long moment. "You serious?" he said finally.

"Deadly." Tony poked at his sandwich, not quite willing to meet his old friend's eyes.

"No, I mean _serious_ serious. Because if you just want to treat her like a fling--"

"Give me some credit," Tony said, irritated. "Pepper is--Pepper is the best thing that's ever happened to me. She's...everything. I just need to convince _her._"

Rhodes laughed. "Yeah, sure, that's all. No, I get you, and I thought you'd never wake up and smell the coffee, but are you sure she's into you that way? I mean, she rides your ass all _day._ If there ever was any mystery, it's gone."

Tony remembered the time she'd almost kissed him, her blushes, her reddened eyes when he'd come home. The way the air between them hummed with sweet tension when they got too close. "Yeah. I'm sure."

"Okay, then, go for it." Rhodes leaned over and punched him on the shoulder. "'Bout time. Just be careful, Tony."

"Thanks for your permission, Dad," Tony snarked, and drank some more beer.

"I guess I won't ask her if she wants to come with me, then," Rhodes went on. "She was saying she wanted to do something different for Christmas this year, and my sisters like her."

"Yeah, I appreciate that." Tony sighed. "The thing is, I don't really know how to do this."

He expected Rhodes to mock him genially, but instead his friend nodded. "I'm not surprised. You've never been serious before, have you?"

Tony just shrugged, and kept eating. The wind was picking up, and he didn't feel like having a genuine sand-wich.

Rhodes crumpled his napkin. "First time for everything, I suppose."

Tony swallowed and kept his eyes on the beach. He was never going to hear the end of this. "Any advice?"

"What, me?" Rhodes snickered. "Based on what? It's not like my record's all that great."

Tony blinked at this. He hadn't really thought about it, but Rhodey was right; the colonel had had a few long-term relationships, but nothing that had really panned out. Rhodes went on. "All I can tell you is, don't do what you'd do for any other woman."

Tony squinted at him. "Oh, yeah, _that's_ clear."

"No, I mean--Pepper's _Pepper. _ She's a lot more solid than your usual type. Whatever you do for her, it's got to_ mean _something." Rhodes finished his beer. "Besides, she orders all the stuff you give your girls. You gotta be _different._"

"Yeah, that much I got." Tony wanted Pepper to know she wasn't like his other, casual conquests. And even he could see that giving her the same sort of expensive, meaningless bauble was a very bad idea.

_I just don't know what I __**should**__ give her._ Because he wanted to give her something. Hell, he wanted to give her _everything_, most importantly himself, if she could be persuaded to take him. _Guess I have to start smaller than that. _

_...How small? _

Thoughtfully, he looked out to sea.

* * *

The big Toys 'R Us store was closed for the evening, but all its lights were still on. Tony straightened out of the limo and looked up at the tall windows, grinning in anticipation. "Where's the truck?"

Pepper, also smiling, let Happy help her out of the vehicle. "At the loading dock. It got here five minutes ago."

"There you are." Rhodey came striding over to them, looking informal in jeans and a sweatshirt instead of his uniform. "We ready?"

"Let's go." Tony started towards the store, glancing back over his shoulder. "Coming, Hogan?"

"Soon as I lock up, sir," the chauffeur said, closing the limo doors.

"Don't forget the cart." Tony glanced over at Pepper, who was tucking her BlackBerry into her pocket. She too was less formally dressed, in dark slacks and a soft green sweater, and her shoes had chunky heels instead of narrow ones. Excitement made her eyes starry, and Tony took a moment to admire her.

The store's manager was waiting to open the door for them, his glee barely contained behind a professional demeanor. "Mr. Stark, it's an honor."

Tony shook his hand, smiling. "I hope Ms. Potts gave you enough warning. I don't want to leave you without any stock."

"Oh yes, we have three deliveries coming tomorrow." The manager waved expansively at the store. "I've got four cashiers ready."

"Good, good." Tony swept towards the aisles. "Let's get started."

The routine was familiar. Pepper grabbed a cart, and the three of them started at one end of the huge store. They bypassed the baby stuff, but all the other aisles were on their map, each section gone through thoroughly and with great enjoyment. Tony was likely to dump in anything that caught his fancy, while Rhodey put more thought into it and Pepper sometimes quietly removed things from the cart as the guys dropped them in, but for the most part it was a toy extravaganza, with Hogan trading full carts for empty ones and taking each load to a waiting cashier.

"I don't know," Rhodey said doubtfully as he and Tony examined a robot dinosaur. "It looks kind of...wimpy."

"It's a planteater, platypus, it's supposed to be wimpy." Tony held up the box, peering at the contents through its plastic window. "I could design something better than this in ten minutes, but it's pretty cool anyway."

Rhodey snorted and plucked the box from Tony's hands, dumping it into the cart, and Tony maneuvered the cart flush with the shelf so he could shove a dozen more boxes in with one sweep of his arm. "Hey, where'd Pepper go?" He raised his voice. "Pepper?"

"I'm in the bike section," she called back, and Tony pushed the cart around the end of the aisle. She stood before the racks of two-wheelers, staring up at the ones hung above her head.

"Want me to get one of the employees?" Rhodey offered, and Pepper smiled over her shoulder.

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea." She made a quick note on her BlackBerry, and Tony abandoned the cart to slip up and peer over her shoulder.

"How many are you going for this year?" he asked.

Pepper frowned judiciously. "I'm not sure, I want to ask the manager if they're getting more in tomorrow--there's no point in leaving some poor kid disappointed Christmas morning because we cleaned out the stock."

As if summoned, the manager appeared at her other elbow; Tony suspected him of hovering one aisle to eavesdrop in a fit of profit ecstasy. "Actually, yes we are, Ms. Potts." His smile was smarmy, and Tony suspected that he would cheerfully lie if it would please her, but he wasn't showing any signs of falsehood.

"We'll take 'em all, then," Tony grinned, waving at the rows, and Pepper rolled her eyes.

"We will _not._ However--" As one of the store's workers came up, Pepper turned to him, and Tony grabbed the cart and moved on to the next aisle, still grinning.

It wasn't the absolute best three hours of Tony's year, but it was arguably among the top ten, and he enjoyed it to the hilt, making Pepper handle the doll aisle and ignoring her grumbles about the toy industry's conviction that pink was the only color for girls. She came out with a cart piled just as high as the others, anyway, and a smile hovering, and that was plenty.

Plucking a sparkly plastic tiara from the top of her heap, he placed it on her head, ignoring her batting hand, and smirked. "I hereby crown you Princess of the Pink Aisle."

Pepper, laughing, snatched up an equally sparkly wand and threatened him with it. "Careful, Mr. Stark, or I'll turn you into a toad."

"Then you'll just have to kiss me to turn me back." He leered genially at her and dropped a tiara onto his own head, which made her laugh harder. "What, not my style?"

Rhodey and Happy, rounding the corner of the aisle, took in this tableau. Rhodey snickered loudly, while Happy merely smirked slightly and swapped out Pepper's full cart for an empty one, trundling the fresh load away. "Is there something I should know about?" Rhodey asked.

"Yeah, I'm secretly the King of Malibu, and you're my court jester." Tony straightened the tiara, which was too small and hence tended to slip. "Pepper, do you think we can find him a cap and bells around here somewhere?"

"All right, that's enough." Rhodey grabbed the tiara from Tony's head. "I'm dethroning you before you think you can start inflicting taxes on people or something."

Tony swiped at him, and missed. "Revolution! The peasants are revolting!" Rhodey backed out of range, grinning, and Tony dove at him. "And I can vouch for the revolting part, platypus."

"Boys! I have a wand and I know how to use it." Pepper's voice was laughing but firm, and Tony glanced back from trying to reach the tiara where Rhodey held it out of reach. She was flushed with amusement, the cheap plastic rhinestones glittering on her hair and the wand upraised, and for an instant he was taken with the vision of her wearing a real one, with how true silver and genuine diamonds would grace her face and form, as they should be so ornamented.

"I don't want to be a toad," Tony said regretfully, lowering his reaching arm, and Rhodey sighed.

"Me neither." He tossed the tiara into the empty cart. "Race you to the sports aisle."

"Last one there has to buy the pizza." Tony took off, Rhodey pounding behind him, and they went to plunder the gloves and skates and balls, but the image of Pepper's shining hair adorned with jewels drifted to the back of Tony's mind and stayed there.

By the time they were done, the shelves looked like the aftermath of Black Friday, and the manager was all but incoherent with delight. The cashiers were grinning themselves, particularly after Tony asked them for recommendations, and the Stark Industries eighteen-wheeler backed up to the loading dock was nicely full. Tony plucked one of the robot dinosaurs from the last cart and swiped his card at each of the manned registers, then walked out with Rhodey and Pepper; Hogan had returned to the limo as soon as the last cart was delivered to the truck.

"Meet you at All-Night Dwight's?" Rhodey asked, and at Pepper's nod bumped fists with Tony and jogged off to his car. Tony sighed happily.

"That was a good one. Where's the food?"

"Here it comes." Pepper pointed to the car pulling up to the store. The magnetic sign on the door proclaimed it a delivery vehicle of the same Dwight's, and Tony nodded with satisfaction. It had been Pepper's suggestion originally, but it made sense to Tony; if he was going to have employees coming into the store outside of hours, it was only polite to offer them a calorie bonus. No one had yet turned down the pizza feast.

As they waited for Happy to bring the limo around, Tony reached over and took Pepper's hand, squeezing it gently. "Have I ever told you how much I appreciate you handling all the girly stuff for me, Potts?"

"Every year," she said, dimpling. "But it's always nice to hear it again." And to his delight, she didn't pull away, instead, letting her hand lie in his for the few seconds it took for the limo to reach them. Tony had to let go to open the door for her, and regretted it.

Their very late dinner was a merry meal. All-Night Dwight's lived up to its name and in addition served good pizza, and they sat around one of the big tables and laughed, discussing the various toys and playing with the dinosaur. Tony borrowed a pen from Pepper and started scribbling notes on a paper napkin about possible improvements, and finally looked up to see Pepper and Rhodey in their annual post-toy-bash battle of the pinball machines.

_Oh, this I've gotta watch. _

He left his paper scraps behind and went over to the game nook. There were no other customers at this point in the very early morning, and the two servers behind the counter were occupying themselves with a book and a Game Boy, ignoring the whoops and pings coming from across the room.

Tony shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against a vintage Ms. Pac-Man machine to observe. Rhodey and Pepper had a long-standing rivalry that they only exercised once a year, and it seemed to him that they stored up all their aggression for this moment, shouting insults at each other over the games' noise and laughing out loud. He grinned, and watched.

Rhodey had a fighter pilot's reflexes, of course, but Pepper had the edge in judging vectors, and Tony found his eyes straying to her more and more often. She was always beautiful to him, but bent over the machine, her cheeks flushed and her hair loose, she was enticing and adorable too. His libido wanted to go over and snuggle up behind her, but Tony told it to shut up for the moment, and simply enjoyed.

It was always a hard-fought battle. Tony knew he could join in if he wanted, but pinball had never been one of his passions, and anyway watching was more fun. Last year Rhodey had won, but as the points mounted Pepper drew ahead, ignoring Rhodey's trash talk and keeping her eyes fixed on the shining silver ball.

Then Rhodey shoved too hard against his machine, setting off the tilt alarm. The oath that came out of his mouth made Tony laugh. "It's a good thing there aren't any kids in here or you'd get us thrown out."

"Huh." Rhodey smacked the flippers one last, futile time, and pushed away with a huff. "Damn over-sensitive machine."

"You keep telling yourself that," Pepper taunted softly, never taking her gaze from her own game. She was already ahead in points, but she kept playing, hammering in the victory, and Rhodey grinned reluctantly, crossing his arms and watching her go.

She was definitely in the zone, Tony thought. The two of them limited themselves to three games apiece, winner best two out of three, but Pepper was taking her third game to a new height; the ball seemed to be under her complete control, always zipping exactly where she wanted it to go. Tony had seen it before, even experienced it; the timeless space where consciousness narrowed to the task at hand, and the brain sped up to encompass all its possibilities.

Pepper played for almost ten minutes more, finally hitting one flipper a fraction of a second too late and hissing as the ball slid past and into the depths of the machine. She straightened, blowing out a breath, and Tony applauded, Rhodey joining in.

"Seriously impressive, Potts!" Tony came closer as the machine rattled and rang, offering Pepper the opportunity to enter her initials in the score record. She hadn't broken the highest score--Tony suspected that belonged to one of the kind of players who played for hours every day--but she was third, far outstripping the fourth-place score.

She shook her head, laughing, and punched in her initials, then held out a hand to Rhodey. "Nice game."

He shook it, still grinning. "Just wait 'til next year, Miss Pepper."

Tony snickered. "Going to practice while you wait?"

Rhodey made a rude gesture in his direction, and Pepper laughed again and rubbed her wrist. Tony frowned. "Something wrong?"

"Nah, my hand cramped up. That's why that ball got past." Pepper didn't look concerned, but Tony reached out and took her hand in both of his, fingers rubbing at the tendons in her slender wrist. "Hey!"

"Hold still. Can't have you coming down with carpal tunnel syndrome, Potts."

"Yeah, you'd go nuts if you couldn't text," Rhodey put in, looking amused.

Pepper glared at them both and pulled her hand firmly from Tony's grasp. "Having won this year's round of pinball madness, I hereby declare the last slice of pizza mine," she said haughtily, and stalked away.

Snickering, the two men followed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Most of the characters and situations in this story belong to Marvel Comics, Fairview Entertainment, Dark Blades Films, and other entities, and I do not have permission to borrow them. All others are mine, particularly Cedric, and if you want to borrow them, you have to ask me first. No infringement is intended in any way, and this story is not for profit. Any errors are mine, all mine, no you can't have any. **

**More Christmas fluff. Cincoflex is the best of betas and the best of friends, and I owe this one to her! **

**The Toys for Tots Website is not very good, but if you want to emulate Tony (on a smaller scale, of course) you can start there.**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"What's wrong with the tree I order every year?"

Pepper looked baffled. Tony shrugged. "Nothing, Potts. I just want to do something a little more...informal this year."

"Informal. Okay..." She tapped her pen against her lips, thinking. "Just lights, maybe?"

"No--look, do you know where my ornaments are stored? I haven't seen them in ages." Tony grimaced. "I was thinking of just getting a tree and decorating it that way."

"Oh." Pepper blinked at him, and shrugged. "Yes, I'll look it up--they're in the sub-basement somewhere."

Tony glanced at his watch. It was late afternoon, and there were no more meetings on his agenda. "You busy now?"

"Tony, I'm always busy." But she was smiling, and he grinned back.

"Let's go find a tree."

It was more fun than he'd anticipated. Even as a kid, Tony had never gone out and chosen a tree; his parents always ordered one in, though they all decorated it together. But as usual, his capable personal assistant knew exactly what to do, and soon Tony found himself roaming around a vacant lot that had sprouted pine and fir.

"It should be cold," Pepper grumbled gently as they wandered up one tree-lined aisle. Tony snickered.

"You've lived here _how_ many years, Potts? You have to be used to it by now."

She pursed her lips, piqued and amused. "For your information, I have never shopped for a tree in Malibu."

"Seriously?" Tony halted. "Don't you do Christmas trees?"

"Of course, but I have an artificial one. It's easier." She glanced back at him. "What?"

Tony shook his head. "That's just obscene. If you're going to go to the trouble, you should have a real one."

Pepper shrugged. "Maybe, but I don't really have time to fuss with a real one."

And that made him feel guilty, because he knew where all her time went. But Pepper was already moving on. "How about this one?"

"Too small," Tony dismissed at once. "I may not remember where the ornaments are, but I know there're more than that tree can hold."

Pepper sighed, but she was smiling. "You don't actually have a cathedral ceiling in the living room, remember."

"Details." Tony waved this off, focusing on the trees. They ranged from dainty to huge, and he realized that there were several varities, not just the short-needled species he was familiar with.

"This one is nice," Pepper said, fingering a branch on a handsome dark pine a few feet further on.

Tony eyed it judiciously. "Yeah, but it'd be hard to get the loops on over the needles," he pointed out, his engineer's mind sticking on that flaw.

Pepper chuckled. "I guess you're right." She let the branch go and kept walking, and Tony followed.

One tall tree leaning against the temporary fence caught his eye, and he veered off to get a better look.

"Hey, Pepper, how about this one?" It was big enough to satisfy him, but when Pepper ran a hand down one branch she shook her head.

"It's too dry--see, the needles are already dropping off." She opened her fingers to reveal a palmful of brown points.

"Oh." Tony knew that cut trees eventually died, but-- "Aren't these things fresh?"

"Most of them, yes," Pepper said, brushing her hands together. "This one's probably been here a few days."

"Hmm." Tony kept going, looking for bigger trees and running the same check on any that seemed likely.

The fifth one he examined was big enough, still healthy, and looked symmetrical, so he imitated some of the other shoppers and reached in to grasp the trunk, hauling it upright. It was heavier than he expected, and the needles pricked, but he ignored them. "What do you say, Potts?"

Pepper's eyes widened, though Tony couldn't see why; the tree was taller than he was, but he knew he had it beat in the weight category. "Hold still."

She walked all the way around, halting in front of Tony with her head cocked judiciously. "It looks good. No big gaps, and it's nice and symmetrical."

"That's a yes, then?" Tony cocked a brow and waited for her nod. "Great!" He waved at one of the attendants across the lot, who hurried over.

He watched with interest as Pepper negotiated delivery of their chosen tree, but frowned as she requested that the attendant remove a few inches from the bottom of the trunk.

"Why did you have him do that?" he asked in a low voice as the man took a handsaw to the tree.

"It's not even," she murmured back. "It won't sit properly in the stand that way. I assume you have a stand, too?"

"No idea," Tony admitted cheerfully. "We can get one on the way home." Observing the attendant's efforts, he raised a brow. "I could do that in five seconds with a microlaser."

Pepper chuckled. "Yes, but that would carbonize the trunk. It has to absorb water through the bottom, Tony, it would defeat the purpose."

"Huh." Tony thought about that for a few seconds, and then discarded it; biology wasn't really his field. "Now let's get one for you too."

Pepper stared at him. "I just told you I have one already."

"An _artificial_ one. You said you didn't have time to get a real one, but here we are."

"That's not what I said, and _no_, Tony. The nice thing about an artificial tree is that I don't have to water it, which works well because I'm never home."

"You make it sound like they have to be sprinkled three times a day," Tony shot back, nettled. "I'll whip you up an automatic waterer if you like--"

Pepper glared. "_No._ Tony, just let it go. I am perfectly happy with the tree I've got, okay?"

He wanted to argue, wanted to make her accept a damned real tree, but as he inhaled to retort Tony realized that he was being stupid. _If she doesn't want a real tree, dumbass, why are you trying to make her take one? _

Besides which, his Christmas plan involved getting her to spend time enjoying the one at _his_ home, not at hers--though now that he thought about it, he wouldn't mind spending time at her apartment, as long as she was there too--

Tony let his breath out. "Okay."

Pepper blinked, her angry expression fading towards confusion. "What?"

"Okay. You're right." He waved a hand, trying to be nonchalant. "You've got a tree already, you don't need another one."

He headed back to the limo, smiling gamely at her over his shoulder. Pepper hurried a few steps to catch up, and her mutter of "Glad you agree" sounded more bemused than annoyed.

When they settled back into the limo, Tony looked over at Pepper. "Okay, where do we go to get a tree stand?"

"A big-box store, I suppose--Target, or someplace similar."

Tony nodded at the waiting Happy. "Find us the closest Target," he instructed, and Hogan nodded back. The dividing window hummed up into place and the limo pulled out of its parking space.

Pepper glanced at her watch. "We could do this tomorrow, or I could just pick one up for you--you can put the tree in a bucket of water overnight."

"Are you in a hurry?" Tony frowned at his PA. "You have plans?"

"I--no," she said, frowning back. "But Target will probably be pretty busy. It could take a while."

Tony shrugged, sitting back. "So what?"

Pepper eyed him for a second, as if she thought he were going to say something else, but then gave up and pulled out her BlackBerry.

Tony suppressed the urge to snatch it away from her--the desire to spend more time with her didn't include sharing her with her phone. But he couldn't think of a good excuse for making her shut it off, and he didn't want to annoy her too much after doing so just a few minutes before.

One of the nice things about having a driver was that he didn't have to worry about finding parking. Happy dropped them off at the Target's front doors, despite the stares, and Tony let Pepper lead him inside and back to the holiday section. He didn't go shopping often, period, and his experience with places like Target was limited, so he was content to let her handle things for the moment.

The place _was_ crowded, particularly in the seasonal aisles. But Pepper seemed to know exactly where she was going, and led him past the cards and lights and ornaments to the shelves she wanted. Within moments she chose a tree stand from an array of five or six different kinds.

Tony took the box from her. "Terrific. Now let's go pick out a few ornaments."

Once again he seemed to have surprised her. "Ornaments? I thought you said you had some already."

"Yeah, but I want some new ones too." He took her elbow and tugged her back the way they'd come, homing in on the rows of decorations. "My mom used to take me out every year to buy a couple. Tradition, you know."

"Oh." Her face softened, and she went willingly.

But before they reached the aisle, his pocket buzzed, and Tony halted, swearing under his breath. He pulled the little phone out and flipped it open.

The message on the screen was terse but clear, and Tony simply closed his eyes, too annoyed for anything but words that were not appropriate when there were at least three strollers within hearing distance. _Damn Fury anyway._

"Do you have to go?" Pepper asked in a low voice, and Tony opened his eyes again to look her way.

"Yeah. Um--"

"I'll get a cab," she said, her expression grave.

"You could come with," he protested, not wanting to just leave her there, but she gave him a small smile.

"You need a tree stand, and I'm already here. Go. I'll see you when you get back, okay?"

She reached out to take the box from him, and reluctantly Tony let it go. "I'll call you."

"You'd better," she said firmly, but she was still smiling, and he really wanted to lean in and kiss her, to go off to whatever insane mission Fury had in mind with the taste of her to remind him to come back.

Since that wasn't really possible, he gave her an awkward smile instead, and strode off towards the entrance, dodging shoppers automatically and wondering how long this one would take.

* * *

The mission wasn't bad, as such things went. Tony really preferred ones in which no innocents were involved; it made things so much more straightforward. And this one had been tiring but simple: take out the nutjobs with the half-assembled nuclear warhead.

"Are you sure about the radiation levels?" he asked Jarvis for the third time as the lights of home came in sight, sparkling against the blackness of the night sea.

"The suit levels are well within norms," Jarvis said with no trace of impatience. "There is no danger."

"Good to know," Tony mumbled. The would-be terrorists hadn't exactly been adhering to NEA protocols in putting their bomb together, and he'd been the one to go in first due to his shielding. And coming home radioactive was one of the last things he wanted to do--especially when he knew Pepper was waiting for him.

"What time is it, anyway?" he asked as he flew down into his workshop and settled the suit onto the assembly platform.

"It is three-twenty-six a.m.," Jarvis replied. "Ms. Potts has cleared your schedule for today."

That was also good news; he hadn't slept in what was going on two days now. The trouble with international missions were that they were never _short,_ Tony thought as the 'bots removed his armor. Transit time took too long.

But it was not a new problem and he laid it aside. "Where is she?" he asked as he stepped off the platform. Usually Pepper was waiting for him in his workshop.

"She is asleep on the living room couch. Since you are uninjured, I saw no need to wake her."

Tony arched a brow as he made his way towards the shower. That much executive decision wasn't really like Jarvis. "Is something wrong?"

"No sir, she is merely quite tired. Ms. Potts spent most of Friday dealing with the Stark Industries holiday party, and then more time here, and did not fall asleep until approximately twelve-oh-eight this morning. She needs her rest."

"Fuck, I forgot all about the party." Tony sighed. _So much for dancing with Pepper. _He figured she'd coped with his absence with her usual efficiency, but it was still disappointing. He peeled off his coverall and tossed it into the washer stationed next to the shower. "Clean that."

The machine hummed to life, and Tony walked into the stall and turned the water on hard. Sweat was an inevitable side-effect of fighting in the suit, and he reeked.

Ten minutes later he trotted up the stairs, shirtless and rubbing at his hair with a towel, but the soft glow halted him on the top one.

The lights were out, but in the north corner of the big room, just underneath the skylight, sat the tree, regal and full. Pepper had somehow managed to get it up and into place--and Tony immediately wondered how she'd managed it, because it _was _heavy--and had wrapped it in lights. The firefly sparks were a multitude of colors, giving the room the sort of hushed, magical air that his childhood associated with Christmas.

Tony absently draped the towel over the stair bannister and climbed the last step, approaching the tree with an odd sense of wonder. He'd chosen well--the topmost branch didn't quite brush the skylight pane above it--but the lights were half the magic, and he smiled to see that they were laid out symmetrically, a patterned net of multicolored stars. _I'd expect no less from Pepper._

There were three large boxes stacked next to the tree, and though it had been years, he recognized them.

"Tony?"

He turned. Pepper was just sitting up, her hair tumbling around her face, which was flushed with sleep. "I didn't hear you--"

"Jarvis let you sleep, since nothing dinged me this time." Tony waved a hand at the tree. "Pepper, this looks wonderful."

She frowned up at the ceiling. "I'm sorry, he wasn't--I told you to wake me!"

Jarvis didn't reply, and Tony had to chuckle. "I may need to adjust his programming slightly. Don't worry, Potts, my feelings aren't hurt."

Pepper's mouth tightened, but her eyes were still half-shut, and Tony figured she had been pretty deeply asleep. She scrubbed her face with both hands. "Urgh. You're okay?"

"I'm fine." On impulse Tony went over to sit down next to her, sprawling back comfortably against the cushions. Pepper was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and her feet, still tucked up on the couch, were bare--which made sense given that it was the weekend. "You want to crash in a guest room, or should I let you go back to sleep right here?"

She huffed, her eyes closing again. "I'll be ready to go home in a minute."

"Sure you will." Tony didn't move. He often wondered why she always insisted on leaving when he no longer needed looking after; it was an irritating habit of hers, given the amount of space he had to share. But he suspected that if he just waited a few more minutes, her own body would make the decision for her.

The soft colored light deepened the red in her hair, he noticed. "How'd you get the tree in the stand?" he murmured.

"'Bots," Pepper mumbled, not opening her eyes. Tony smiled again; she was fading fast.

He idled, watching the lights' reflection in the windows and wondering what the tree looked like from the ocean.

_Maybe I'll fly out and see some time._

When he glanced over at Pepper a few minutes later, she was out cold. Tony grinned and reached over, taking her shoulders and easing her gently down until she was lying on her side, her head coming to rest on his thigh. She sighed, but didn't wake.

Sighing himself, in satisfaction, Tony relaxed, stretching his arms out along the back of the couch. He wasn't going to be able to sleep for a while--there was still too much adrenaline in his bloodstream--but he figured he was due a little relaxation time.

_And this suits me just fine._ Normally he would be itching for something to do, but the slight weight on his leg seemed to negate that drive, leaving him content to admire the tree and just...be.

Later, when his eyes were beginning to get heavy, Tony let one hand fall to his lap, his fingertips just brushing the cool silk of Pepper's hair where it spread across his leg. "Jarvis?" he asked under his breath, knowing that the AI could pick up a mere whisper. "Hypothesize: why won't Pepper sleep here overnight?"

"She is delineating limits," Jarvis murmured back. "Presumably for both professional and personal reasons."

Tony thought about that for a moment. Professional didn't really apply; he'd had live-in help at various times and no one had blinked at that, given the size of his place.

_So, personal?_ Why would Pepper care about limits when she knew perfectly well that, should she choose to spend the night in a guest room, one word from her would keep him from crossing its threshold?

The most obvious answer made his lips curve up in a smile, wistful and hopeful both. Reluctantly, Tony slid a hand gently beneath Pepper's head, cradling it long enough to replace his thigh with a cushion, and rose. Pulling the blanket from its place on the back of the couch, he draped it over her and left, glancing back from the hall to see the tree one more time.

* * *

She was gone when he woke in the early afternoon, and he couldn't blame her--it was Sunday and she was no doubt off enjoying her precious hours of free time. The ornament boxes still sat by the tree, whose lights were now off in the pour of sunlight through the windows, but Tony didn't touch them.

He stepped past the tree to the window and called up the touchscreen, scrolling through until he found his schedule and then Pepper's. He lined them up side by side and regarded them thoughtfully, a week's worth of meetings, appointments, phone calls, and blocks of time labeled "contracts" and "budgeting". His had more gaps than hers, which didn't surprise him at all.

Monday afternoon was full on Pepper's calendar. Tony tapped his arc implant absently, thinking, then did a little careful rearranging. She was going to be pissed, he knew, but the memory of the soft look on her face when he'd mentioned his mother's tradition made him think that he could coax her out of it.

It was tempting to put in "dinner with the boss" in the newly cleared space, but he refrained, and instead labeled it "decoration project", which would at least make her curious. Dinner would simply follow naturally, though Tony wondered if he could manage taking her out or whether it would just be delivery again.

"Jarvis," he said, "double-check tomorrow night's menus at Tsunami and La Miche and make sure they both have something Pepper likes."

"Will do." Jarvis paused. "Ms. Potts has been accessing the schematics for your implant."

That startled Tony. "She has? When?"

"Some eight times over the past four weeks."

Tony frowned, puzzled. Pepper had helped him switch out his Mark I arc reactor twice, and while she'd been disgusted the first time, she had accomplished the swap the second time with grim efficiency, bending over his hospital bed in the aftermath of his fight with Stane and doing what his shaking fingers couldn't. But she'd never said another word about it. "Why the hell would she do that?"

"I believe her reasoning is that she may have to replace it again at some point in the future. At least, that is my assumption after listening to her complaints on the subject."

Tony had to swallow, feeling an ache behind that same implant. _There's a reason I trust you, Pepper._ If she was willing to bone up on the mechanics of the device that kept him alive, just on the off-chance that she would have to deal with it in some point in the future...despite her protests that she would never touch it again... "She hates the damn thing," he muttered, half-disbelieving.

"Incorrect," Jarvis told him crisply. "Ms. Potts does not hate your implant; she hates the fact that you are dependent upon it. She is, however, still disgusted by the plasmic discharge."

Tony laughed, slightly bewildered. "What the hell are you basing all this _on,_ Jarvis? Does she talk to you or something when I'm not around?"

"Yes," was the simple answer, which left him stunned again. Tony scrunched his mouth up, unsure whether all this independent thought was just an outgrowth of his own programming--which was admittedly open-ended--or something more.

_And should I be worried about it?_

..._And why the hell is she talking to Jarvis instead of me?_

Well, _that_ one was pretty obvious. He was immediately tempted, badly, to have Jarvis replay the conversations, but even if the AI was vouchsafing information Tony knew that accessing those recordings would be crossing a line. Pepper was entitled to at least some privacy, even if she was talking to _his_ computer.

Shaking his head, Tony put aside the question of Jarvis' programming for later, and tapped the screen off. "Don't let Pepper alter this schedule without my permission," he instructed, and went to find some food.

Yeah, she'd be pissed, but he figured it would be worth it.

The idea came to him later, when he was lying in bed, trying to sleep. The blue glow of his arc implant was something to stare at, shedding a strange light on his wide bed, and slowly it seeped into his mind, bringing up schematics and equations to dance in his imagination. The Mark II was quite efficient, and while Tony had ideas for further improvements, they were farther down on his list of things to work on. There was always so much else to do, from new ideas for Stark Industries to improvements to the Iron Man armor, to that snow concept...

But then he knew exactly what he could give Pepper. Just the right thing to tell her how he felt, to prove that he really _had_ changed. To offer her everything.

Sleep wasn't going to come that night. Tony slid out of bed and threw on a pair of jeans, and hurried downstairs.

_Yes._


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Most of the characters and situations in this story belong to Marvel Comics, Fairview Entertainment, Dark Blades Films, and other entities, and I do not have permission to borrow them. All others are mine, particularly Cedric, and if you want to borrow them, you have to ask me first. No infringement is intended in any way, and this story is not for profit. Any errors are mine, all mine, no you can't have any. **

**More Christmas fluff. Cincoflex is the best of betas and the best of friends, and I owe this one to her! **

**The Toys for Tots Website is not very good, but if you want to emulate Tony (on a smaller scale, of course) you can start there.**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"What on earth is this 'decoration project', and why did you have to completely screw up my schedule to fit it in?" was Pepper's demand on Monday morning when she arrived in his office, and Tony grinned at her. She had brought him espresso anyway, and he took the cup with a flourish.

"Hey, I just omitted the middleman, so to speak--usually I just don't show up to things. This way you know ahead of time." Actually, he'd been careful--the stuff he'd moved was nothing that couldn't be rescheduled. There was no point in making her actually furious.

And she seemed more exasperated than anything else. As he drank, Tony wondered if he'd been _too_ good lately.

Pepper sighed, and took the cup back when he handed it to her. "All right, but what _is_ it? Do I need to call anyone?"

"No. All you need to do is come home with me this afternoon." Tony leaned back in his chair. "It shouldn't take all that long." Though he hoped to stretch it out as long as possible.

"If you're planning on giving your house a makeover I _will_ need to call someone," she muttered, but Tony ignored the statement since it didn't seem to require an answer.

"Four o'clock," he told her. "Don't be late."

That won him an eye-roll, because he was hardly the punctual type, and Tony just smirked back and got on with the business of the day. He even made all his meetings, just to sweeten Pepper's temper.

He was waiting in the limo when she came out of the building at four on the dot and slid into the car beside him. "Nice. I was sure Crichton was going to waylay you in the lobby."

"He tried," Pepper said dryly, smoothing her slacks with an automatic gesture. "But the nice thing about being on the phone a lot is that no one can tell when you're not actually having a conversation."

Tony snickered. The vice president of marketing was notoriously long-winded, and when he'd seen the man moving towards Pepper Tony had begun thinking of ways to rescue her, but she obviously had everything under control.

_As usual._

"So are you going to tell me what you're plotting?" she asked as the limo pulled away.

"Nope." Tony reached for the Scotch decanter, ignoring the slight narrowing of her eyes. It was the first drink he'd had all day and he was off the clock. "You'll just have to be patient."

He poured himself a measure, not offering her any. He had, the first couple of years she'd worked for him, but she never accepted, though she would occasionally have a glass of wine if they ate together. It was one of the things about her that left him both frustrated and admiring.

Pepper's mouth quirked, but she settled herself into the corner of the seat, crossing her legs and brushing back a strand of hair. When she didn't immediately reach for her BlackBerry, Tony raised a brow. "Is your phone broken?"

"Nope," she said serenely. And nothing more.

That made him suspicious, but he was hardly going to give her the satisfaction of asking, so Tony sipped his drink and they rode in a semi-comfortable silence to his house.

The sun was setting when they arrived, which gave them a magnificent view out the windows. Tony slung his coat onto the couch and started rolling up his sleeves. "Jarvis, playlist N, please."

Soft piano carols began to play. Tony went over to the boxes still stacked by the tree and lifted one, laying it carefully on the couch. "Come over here and pick an ornament, Potts. This tree isn't going to decorate itself."

Pepper obediently came closer, but her brows were drawn together. "This is your project? But--"

He glanced over his shoulder at her. "You did such a great job with the lights--obviously you need to help me finish the job."

Emotions flickered over her face, too fast for him to quite make them out, but in the end she smiled, soft with an edge of wistfulness. "You could have just asked, Tony."

She stepped forward and chose a blown glass sphere, one tinted rosy-red, and Tony straightened, feeling a little guilty. _But I didn't know if you would say yes._

Still, she'd agreed, and that was the important thing. Tony picked out a star made of straw and went around the tree to hang it. "Judging from the light layout, we're going to have a conflict in decorating styles," he said, peering through the branches at her.

Pepper laughed, and picked another out of the box. "I don't think so. Symmetry is one thing when all the ornaments are one style, but for something like this--" She waved a hand at the box. "--They're meant to go where they look best."

Her words warmed him somehow. Tony came back around the tree--and blushed a little when he saw what she was holding. The heavy little snowman's colors were faded, now, and its carroty nose missing the tip, but he definitely remembered it.

Pepper held it up by its loop, smiling. "I'm sure there's a story behind this one."

Tony sighed, and took it from her gently. "Salt-water dough and watercolor paints, and a broken leg. I think my mom thought she was going to go nuts before I got my cast off."

Pepper's dimples deepened. "How old were you?"

He rolled the snowman between his fingers, matching his thumb to the much smaller print on the figurine's backside. "Six. We were visiting my grandparents, so I didn't have a workshop to play in, but Grandma pulled a few things together."

Pepper bent to the box and came up with a bow-legged reindeer of the same vintage. "How many of these will we find?"

Tony hung the snowman up with care, remembering. "At least half a dozen, I think. I'm not sure how many survived."

Slowly they emptied the boxes, weighing branches with glass and ceramic treasures, carved wood, the obligatory popsicle-stick-and-glitter creation. Some Tony told Pepper about, and she even shared a couple of stories with him, glimpses of the same simple, secure joy he remembered.

When it came to the upper branches, though, they ran into a problem. "How did you do this before?" Tony asked, not quite standing on tiptoe to hang a china angel on a branch over his head. A good quarter of the tree was firmly out of their reach.

"The decorating service handled it. With a stepladder, I believe." Pepper stood back, looking up at the bare top. Her hair was hanging in wisps and she'd taken off her jacket too, though she still wore her shoes. Tony wanted to go over to her and either brush the wisps out of her eyes, or take down her hair altogether.

"I probably have a stepladder somewhere...but...I have a better idea." Grinning, Tony tapped the table console. "Dummy, get up here."

A few minutes later, the robot was carefully lifting ornaments into place at Pepper's direction. Tony let her handle it; she had more patience than he did, and the task wasn't simple given that Dummy only had one arm. But the bare space filled out nicely as they emptied the boxes.

A few of the ornaments turned out to be broken, despite the care taken in storage, and those Tony set aside; some could be repaired, possibly. There were crystal icicles and silver snowflakes, and even a few old strands of tinsel, but when they were finished the tree still looked a little bare.

"I still need more," Tony muttered, resting his hands on his hips and staring up at the tree. It glittered and twinkled in the overhead lights; they'd turned on the light strings about halfway through the process, and despite the gaps it looked magnificent.

"You can go shopping tomorrow," Pepper pointed out. She stretched a little, yawning, and Tony watched out of the corner of his eye, knowing that if he turned and leered full-on she would get self-conscious.

"I suppose." The idea of doing it by himself didn't really appeal. Tony lidded the boxes and stacked them on the end of the couch, realizing that he still didn't know where in storage they'd been.

"Hey, you forgot one." Pepper picked up the big gold-and-crystal star that Tony had set aside earlier.

"Oh, right." Tony regarded it. The tree-topper had always been the last item to go up, the finishing touch, and he debated waiting until he had more ornaments. _Nah. It's part of the ritual._ "Want to put that up?"

"On the top? I can't reach that high."

"Sure you can." Tony beckoned Dummy over and made him lower his arm. "Here."

"Tony--" Pepper looked less than thrilled.

"Dummy can't handle my weight," Tony lied, taking her elbow and tugging her closer. "And he can't plug the star in. Come on, Potts, don't tell me you're scared of heights."

She huffed, and eyed the 'bot skeptically. Dummy chirped at her, and her expression eased towards a smile. "Oh, all right--but if I fall, Mr. Stark, I'm landing on you."

"My pleasure," Tony replied, smirking to make her blush and taking the star. "Now swing your leg over--"

Pepper settled gingerly across Dummy's arm as though straddling a horse, gripping the collar behind his pincers with one hand and taking the star back with the other. "It's a good thing for you I'm wearing slacks tonight," she muttered.

_That's a matter of opinion,_ Tony didn't say, though he had to admit that while slacks concealed her legs they did showcase her ass much better than a skirt. "Ready? Okay, Dummy, take her up."

The 'bot slowly raised his arm, lifting Pepper into the air. She squeaked and clutched harder, wobbling slightly, but then laughed. As soon as she was level with the top of the tree, Dummy scooted slowly closer, bringing her within range of the top.

Tony kept half his attention on her, and half on Dummy; he knew the robot's specs within micrometers, and Pepper's weight wasn't enough to unbalance Dummy even with his arm at full extension, but as an engineer Tony knew to plan for the unexpected.

However, Dummy operated exactly as he should, moving Pepper into the tree until her toes were buried in branches. She leaned forward precariously, wrapping her legs around the 'bot's arm, and fastened the star to the topmost branch, precisely upright. Then she plugged it into the light string, and it burst into glittering light.

"Nice!" Tony applauded below, and Pepper grinned down at him. Her cheeks were flushed with effort and laughter; absolutely kissable.

She patted Dummy's pincers. "Down, please," she said, and Dummy reversed direction, backing away from the tree and lowering her carefully down. As her feet touched the floor, Tony held out a hand, and Pepper took it, letting him help her off the 'bot.

The vision of pulling her close and taking that kiss was sudden and vivid, and Tony felt his fingers tightening on Pepper's. She glanced at him, startled, and the air around them thickened, making the space between them seem to shrink.

Tony couldn't take his eyes from Pepper's lips. He'd been fascinated by countless women, but none of them had enticed him the way Pepper's quiet beauty did, deepened as it was by the compassionate, tender soul of her. At the moment all he wanted was a taste of her--just to know.

Just to _know._

Pepper made a small gasping noise, and pulled her fingers free. "Thank you, Dummy," she said hurriedly, whirling away to pat the 'bot one more time. Dummy whirred, sounding pleased, and Tony took a breath and tried to slow his pulse.

"You're going to give me a complex if you keep teasing me like that, Potts," he said in a low voice, pitching it towards amusement. As much as he wanted to push the issue, his instincts were telling him it wasn't yet time.

She huffed, lingering with her back to him, but he could see her ears pinkening. "Your ego is hardly that fragile, Mr. Stark."

_Wanna bet?_ Tony's lips twisted. "How about dinner?" he said instead. "I'm starving."

"Oh--" Pepper glanced at her watch, turning back around, and her brows went up. "Is it that late?"

"Getting there. La Miche is open late tonight, though." Tony tried to look hopeful. "Or we could just get delivery if you'd rather."

She hesitated, and he coaxed. "Come on, Pepper, I don't want to eat alone tonight. Have mercy."

Her smile was slow and wry. "All right. Delivery."

"Great!" Tony pointed at the window, and Jarvis cued up La Miche's menu. "Pick what you want and Jarvis'll call it in."

He wasn't sure if she stayed out of pity for him, but Tony wasn't going to argue. The food was excellent and the company was better, and they ate in the living room so they could enjoy the tree, trading stories of Christmases growing up. It was an odd feeling when Tony thought about it; first, he'd spent so long deliberately not thinking about his family and the happier times, and second, he was hardly in the habit of talking about his past to anyone. Obadiah had been the only one, and--

The less said about Obadiah, the better.

But it felt good to share with Pepper. And to listen to her; Tony knew the framework of her past, her father gone before she could remember him, her mother lost to cancer the year she'd started working for Tony, but he didn't know the details. And he wanted to.

Her childhood had been good, he deduced from her stories--not anywhere near the lap of luxury that his own had been, but Pepper had been happy. Tony wondered if she had photos anywhere, and if she could be persuaded to let him see them.

And when she went home, leaving him with the lights twinkling on the tree, Tony felt that the evening had been a success.

* * *

He had it all planned out. The snow, the gift, the words--though the latter were the weak point, Tony had to admit. Glibness came easily for him when it was business, or getting laid, but this was _important_, and that made it so much harder.

But he had to try.

So he summoned casual when Pepper came down to say goodbye the next evening, dropping off a last stack of papers. "Hey, I meant to ask--what are you doing for Christmas? 'Cause I was wondering if you'd like--I mean, I don't have anything planned, and..."

He made himself look at her. Pepper was staring at him in surprise. "I thought you were going to that party in Aspen."

Tony shrugged. "I'm just not in the mood this year, I guess."

Pepper bit her lip. "Well--I'm sorry, Tony, but I'm going to Boston. I, um, there's some family friends I haven't seen in years, and they always ask if I want to come out."

"Oh." His chest ached. Out of all the reactions he'd considered, the fact that she might have plans already had never occurred to him. He almost blurted out _But you never have plans,_ but managed to keep the words back just in time. "Well. Do you--do you need the jet?"

Pepper shook her head; she never let him provide her with transportation unless it was for business, but he kept trying. "I have tickets for tomorrow."

Tony swallowed, unbearably disappointed at the destruction of his plot. "Well, have a good flight then."

He turned away to his keyboard, knowing he sounded petty, but he _hurt._ Romantic intentions aside, he didn't want to be alone on Christmas, and it felt like Pepper was abandoning him.

"Tony--" She stopped, but he kept typing, not wanting to see her face. Pity, annoyance, resignation--whatever her expression, he was afraid he'd say something unforgivable.

"I'll be back on Friday," Pepper said at last, her voice low, and Tony heard her heels tapping away, back to the door. He didn't stop typing until the door clonked shut, until he knew she was gone back upstairs.

The lines of code on the screen before him, when he finally looked, were an old program in BASIC, one he hadn't thought about in years. The sight of it made his lips twist, and on impulse he ran it.

The left side of the screen immediately filled with one repeated word, scrolling upward without pause.

FAIL.

* * *

Pepper was quiet and formal the next day at the office, and Tony was formal right back, in between all the last-minute tasks of gearing up for a four-day weekend. There wasn't a lot of time, anyway, and she was leaving early for the airport.

He debated all day, veering between bitterness and sorrow, and finally ran downstairs fifteen minutes before she was scheduled to leave and broke into her car. The little package looked forlorn on the passenger seat despite the springy ribbon he'd found, but Tony trusted that she'd see it anyway, and the note he'd attached.

_Merry Christmas, Pepper. Don't open until tomorrow._

Then, unable to wish her a good holiday face to face, Tony took the coward's route and called Happy to drive him home.

His house was quiet when he got there, and seemed dark despite the lowering sun. Tony turned on the tree lights, but all they did was remind him of decorating it with Pepper. The gaps seemed bigger, and he realized that they had never managed to go out and find new ornaments.

Miserable, Tony turned his back on the tree and wandered downstairs, considering his options without much interest. He could go out--there wouldn't be much open in Malibu on Christmas Eve night, but Las Vegas wasn't far and that city never slept. But he'd told Happy to take the night off and he didn't feel like driving.

He could take the jet and go to Aspen after all. But that didn't have any appeal either--the noise and churn of a party made his nerves rasp just thinking about it. Tony was sure he could find someone beautiful and willing to take his mind off of things, but he didn't _want _to be distracted.

_I want Pepper. If I can't have her--_

Dispiritedly Tony reminded himself that he might still be able to win her. Just because his Christmas plans had crashed and burned didn't mean she wasn't interested.

Sighing, he slumped onto a stool and contemplated the third option, the one that had gotten him through quite a few Christmases already. Liquor was familiar, and if he drank enough the hurt would at least be muffled somewhat--

"Sir," Jarvis said, making Tony jump slightly. "The calculation for Project Snowfall is complete."

"Huh. Bring it up," Tony said, distracted. The graphic that appeared on the terminal nearest him was not what he had in mind, and he frowned at it. "This isn't right."

"Some adjustment is needed to achieve the effect you intended," Jarvis agreed.

For lack of anything else to do, Tony decided to fix it. _Maybe I can use it next year,_ he thought without much pleasure.

It took time, and it was a distraction, so he kept at it, reworking the program over and over until the simulation fit what he'd originally had in mind. Jarvis was dubious, but Tony ignored him; physics wasn't as immutable as people liked to think it was, and he'd found his way around it before.

Finally it was finished, and Tony tapped the keyboard one last time, rubbing the back of his neck with his other hand. "Run it again, let's see if it works."

"Will do." Jarvis fell silent, and Tony pushed away from the workbench, sighing. There were a few bottles of whiskey in the little kitchen area, and he went to fetch one, figuring he deserved a drink after all that work.

_Do you really think this is going to happen? _he asked himself sourly as he poured. _She turned you down cold. What makes you think she's changed her mind? _

The thoughts were poisonous and easy, overwhelming the memory of her blushes when he got too close, the way she'd yearned towards him before that aborted kiss...all of it seemed worthless in light of her decision to leave him behind on Christmas. The rational part of Tony's mind knew that it hadn't been deliberate--after all, they'd never spent a Christmas together before--but he was just too hurt and angry to care.

The beep of the stairwell door opening halted the rise of the glass to his lips. Tony set his drink down and pushed away from the counter, startled and wondering who was invading his space. Only three people had the access code, and two of them were out of town--

But it wasn't Happy. Pepper stood just inside the door, wearing a light raincoat over jeans and a blouse, and Tony's despondency vanished into worry at the sight of tears on her face. "Pepper? What's the matter, are you hurt?"

He strode towards her, alarmed. Pepper met his eyes, her own pink and puffy, her mouth in a trembling smile. "Tony--"

He reached for her hands, clasped in front of her, and she turned them up in his grip, opening her fingers to reveal...his Christmas gift.

The tiny arc reactor was a perfect miniature of his own chest piece, power distilled down yet again, and it glowed brightly on the slender silver chain. He'd created it for Pepper, just for her, giving her his heart in more ways than one, hoping that she'd understand. "You weren't supposed to open it until tomorrow," was all he could think of to say, staring down at the spark like a strayed star in the cup of her palm.

"Security--" Pepper swallowed. "Security had a fit at the airport, I had to open it to see--"

Tony winced. It hadn't even crossed his mind. "Fuck. You missed your flight, didn't you? I'm--"

The rest of his apology was lost as Pepper's lips landed on his, salty-sweet with her tears.

He almost didn't believe it, and then joy blossomed, sharp and unfamiliar. Tony pulled her close, pressing her hands to his chest, ignoring the hard lump of the necklace as he returned her kiss eagerly.

She tasted like mint, and something that could only be Pepper herself, and he knew he'd never get tired of that flavor. He almost protested when she pulled her hands free, but then they slid up to the nape of his neck, and that was better. Tony found her waist with his own palms, then her spine, and she melted against him. He couldn't stop kissing her, it was as vital as breath.

It took him a while to realize she was still crying, and Tony finally lifted his mouth from hers, worried anew. "Pepper," he managed, squeezing her when her eyes didn't open. "Pepper, are you--"

She shook her head, and fresh tears spilled when she looked at him. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't think you were serious, Tony, and I walked away."

His throat tightened, and he swallowed, trying to smile. "Can't blame you, really, it's not like I--" He reached up to touch her cheek, smearing away the moisture. All his anger seemed silly now that she was _there,_ warm and real. "Will you stay? I really wanted to spend Christmas with you, Pepper."

In answer she kissed him again. Tony moaned happily, tangling his fingers in her hair, shivering as she teased him. And shivered again, and again, but she was too delicious, he couldn't focus on anything but the bliss of kissing Pepper.

He almost protested when she pulled away. "Tony, you're freezing," she said, frowning, and he blinked, suddenly aware that his workshop was cold and getting colder.

And at that moment, ridiculously perfect, it started to snow. Tiny flakes drifted down from the ceiling, and Tony began to laugh. "Hey, it worked!"

Pepper stared upward, mouth open in surprise. "How did you _do_ that?" she asked, astonished, and on impulse Tony took the necklace from her, opening the catch so he could fasten it around her neck.

"Temperature, pressure, humidity--Jarvis," he explained, still grinning as he slid his hands back down her shoulders. The tiny reactor glittered just below the hollow of her throat. "You wanted snow, so..."

Pepper shook her head again, that trembling smile widening. "You did...this...for me?"

Tony shrugged. "I didn't think you'd let me take you _to_ the snow."

Flakes were gathering on her hair and lashes, unbearably charming. Pepper reached up and gently brushed snow from his bangs, her fingers trailing down to linger on his jaw. Tony settled his hands on her waist and kissed her thumb as it passed over his lips.

"You're impossible," she told him softly, and the tenderness in her voice returned the lump to his throat. "Thank you."

"I try," he replied, reaching for cheeky but not sure he succeeded. Pepper's smile went wry.

"I noticed. Tony, it's beautiful, but your workshop is going to be soaked when it melts."

"Eh, won't hurt anything..." Tony let the last word trail off against her cheekbone, making his way to her lips, but Pepper cut him short by turning to match their mouths once more. The little hungry sound she made had him wrapping her up in his embrace and forgetting about the snow entirely.

* * *

The tree was still magnificent when they finally made it back upstairs. Tony walked in from the kitchen, carefully balancing a mug in each hand, and leaned over the back of the sofa to give one to Pepper. "Here you go."

She reached up and took it, smiling at him, and Tony felt his heart turn to warm happy liquid. He came around the end of the couch and settled in next to her, putting an arm around her shoulders, and Pepper leaned against him with a sigh that spoke of contentment and began stirring the cocoa with the candy cane he'd stuck in the mug.

"We still need more ornaments," Tony murmured, not really caring at the moment. "You have some, right?"

Pepper snickered. "Yeah, but they're still in storage--I never did get around to putting up my tree."

Tony glanced at her, concerned, but her shrug was casual. "There didn't seem much point when I was going to be gone for Christmas."

"Hell, your friends," Tony said, squeezing his eyes shut. "I forgot--"

"It's okay. I called them on the way back from the airport." Pepper shrugged again. "We're not close; I don't think they'll be that hurt."

Tony sipped absently at his cocoa, letting his thumb rub small circles on her shoulder. It felt indescribably good just to be close to her, to share her space; it fed a hunger he'd only recently realized existed.

Pepper lifted a hand to touch the tiny arc reactor on its chain. "You can really plug this in?"

"Well, _you_ can, yeah." Tony set down his mug so he could reach over and flip it around, and tapped the connector nub. He'd figured she'd realize the possibilities when she examined the back, and he'd been right. "If necessary. It doesn't put out as much power as the Mark II, but it'll do to keep me alive."

The little device gleamed between his fingers, and Tony grimaced. "I guess it's a little self-serving, but--"

Pepper wrapped her hand around his in a warm grip, enclosing his gift. "It's _practical_, Tony. And beautiful. Thank you."

Her other hand cupped his cheek to hold him still for her kiss, and in the midst of his hot delight Tony knew that she _did_ understand.

He'd offered her his heart, and his life. And she had accepted them.

Pepper hummed against his lips, and broke the kiss. "I almost forgot--I have your present too."

Tony blinked, trying to corral his neurons. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." Pepper let him go and stood, moving her mug to the table in front of them. "I'll be right back."

Tony watched her go over to the piano and pick something up from the closed keyboard, and figured that she must have left it earlier. In his funk he simply hadn't noticed, though that was where he found her Christmas card each year.

Pepper's lips curved up, her cheeks flushing slightly as she returned. "It's not as, um, spectacular as yours, but..." She held out the small rectangular package.

Tony reached past it to tug on her wrist until she was settled next to him again, and only then did he take the gift. It meant something; Pepper gave him a card every year, but not a present, and he realized with a thrill that she had to have felt the change in their relationship too.

He slid a finger under the tape and popped it open, peeling off the paper with a deep curiosity. Tony knew he was a difficult problem when it came to gifts, and he really had no idea what she might have chosen.

The plain cardboard box beneath was easily opened, and the contents slid out into his hand. Tony grinned in astonished delight.

"Where the hell did you _get_ this? It's so cool!" He held it up. The little Iron Man figurine was posed in flight configuration, head up and arms back. Dangling from one gauntlet was a miniscule wreath, presumably a Pepper touch.

"Not telling," Pepper said, completely pink now but smiling. "It's a start on filling up your tree, anyway."

He turned it over, examining the detail, and realizing as he did so what it meant.

_It isn't just me she's accepting. It's Iron Man, too._

Closing his eyes, Tony exhaled, holding the knowledge like the treasure it was. _I think I just got everything I ever wanted. _

And then he opened them and grinned, and bounced to his feet, pulling her after him. "So hang it for me, Potts." He tugged her over to the tree.

With amused solemnity, Pepper took the ornament and slid its loop over a branch, front and center. It spun a little as she released it, dancing as though sailing the winds.

_Yeah._ Tony pulled her into his arms and kissed her smiling mouth, and knew there could be no better Christmas.

**End.**


End file.
